Filing equipment for identification badges



Dec. 29, 1953 H, s Mugs 2,664,195

FILING EQUIPMENT FOR IDENTIFICATION BADGES Filed Dec. 11. 1950 :E l. E

//9 JNVENTOR. U21 u1 )[147 |51 l U61 111 l Hn'oza J'. M055 atented Dec. 29, 1953 A 2,664,195?r K FILING 'EQUIPMENT Fonnnnrrirrc'A'rioN' BADGES. y n 'n Harold S. Mues, Detroit, Micha?.a'ssigno1"to'MotorA Products Corporation, Detroit, Michi; a .l corpo-- ration of New York- Application' December 11, 195o, serial No. 200,217 1 Claim.r (c1. 20e-72)' This invention relates: to equipmentfor' filing badges ofiithe'type having. a pin and a clasp' on then reverse sides enabling attachmentk ofv the badges to wearing apparel.

Badges arey used extensively inA industry as means of identifying employees, and it is customary for employees to surrender their badges to the employment oiiice during periods of layolfs.V oeshut'downs'.I The' badges are kept oni le in the employment department, andare reissued to the employees when the latter return.

In industries having a large numberofemployees', considerableequipment and space isdevotedto ling the badges, anddue to the nature ofthebadges', considerable time is required'on the.. part of' clerks in' handling these" badges. Thusthe'detail of handlingk badges in a' large industry is an importantitem, and it is an object of this invention'to'improve generally the'equipment used for this purpose.

It is another object to provide equipment which enables readily ling a large number of badges in an orderly fashion in a relatively small space; and in addition, renders it possible for a clerk to directly view a substantial number of filed badges without disturbing the badges.

In accordance with this invention a substantial number of badges are supported in side by side relationship on the top surface of a panel which in turn rests on the bottom of a drawer. The panel is relatively thin, and the drawer preferably has a depth sufficient only to accommodate the panel together with the badges on the top surface of the panel. Thus the drawer is very shallow, and a large number of drawers may be accommodated in a cabinet of convenient height.

It is still another object of this invention to provide the top surface of the panel with intersecting grooves. The grooves extending in one direction have a width suiicient to freely receive the pins on the reverse sides of the badges, but are insufficient to receive the catches on the badges, while the intersecting grooves have a width suflicient to freely receive the catches on the badges. Thus the badges are held in position on the panel by the coaction of lthe grooves and the pins, together with the catches for the pins on the badges. The arrangement is such that the pins or clasps on the badges need not be manipulated by the filing clerk.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Figure lisi ai plan: viewV of at filing? cabinet drawer embodyinglth'effeatures of this invention and'indicating by broken lines' agro'upofi identiflcation badges supported by the'y drawer Figure 2 is anenlarged' cross' sectionalvi'ew taken` on the'v line 2-2 ofrFigure land showing one of the badges in full lines;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectlon'al'view`fo'f'a partvv of the y drawer and" also" showing; thefbadge in full lines;` f

Figure 4. isi a sectionalk view.- taken on the"y line 4;-4'of Figure l; f

Figure 5 is a' top plan viewcfithebadge; f

Figure 6 is va rear elevational view' off thebadge;

` and Figure' 'I is an end! elevation' of they drawer:v

Referring `now' to the drawing, itiwill benoted that the reference' numeral/I0 designates a typic'a'lidentiiication badgehaving a backinglII and a front plate I2 fastened to the backing. The plate I2 has a window I3 for exposing suitable identifying indicia. The backing has ears I4 struck out therefrom and the ears provide a support for a pivot shaft I5. One end of a pin I6 is pivoted on the shaft I5 and the free end of the pin I 6 is engageable in a clasp I1. The clasp is suitably secured to the reverse side of the 'backi'ig II and is provided with the usual safety lock This invention concerns itself with improved equipment for filing badges of the above general type, and this equipment comprises a drawer I9 and a support 20. In the present instance the drawer I9 is shown as formed of sheet metal and has a bottom wall 2|, side walls 22, and end walls 23. The drawer I9 is very shallow and simulates a tray in appearance. The construction is such that a substantial number of drawers I9 may be slidably supported one above the other in a cabinet of minimum height. In practice it has been found that filing cabinets sold under the trade name Kardex may be employed for the a'bove purpose.

'I'he support 20 comprises a plate or panel 24 preferably although not necessarily formed of wood. In any case the panel 24 is insertable into the drawer I9 through the open top of the drawer and rests on the bottom wall 2| of the d rawer. The thickness of the panel 24 is sufciently less than the depth of the side and end walls of the drawer I9 to provide ample space in the drawer above the top surface of the panel 24 to accommodate the badges I Il.

The top surface of the panel 24 is formed with a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally extending grooves 25 and with a plurality of laterally spaced grooves 2B which extend transversely of the grooves 25. The width of the grooves 25 is sufficient to freely receive the ears I4 and pins I8 on the badges I0, but is insufllcient to receive the clasps I1 for the pins I6. The grooves 28 intersect the grooves 25 and provide clearance for the reception of the clasps l1 on the badges I0. The construction is such that the badges are held against shifting movement in opposite directions lengthwise of thegrooves 26 by engagement of the pins I6 with opposite sides of the grooves 25, and are held against shifting movement in opposite directions lengthwise of the grooves 25 by engagement of the clasps I1 with opposite side walls of the grooves 26.

In use a badge I to be filed is merely placed on the panel 24 with the pin I6 and ears I4 extending into the appropriate groove 25, and the badge is moved along the groove 25 until the clasp Il on the badge drops into the adjacent cross groove 26. It will be noted that the badges are not fastened to a card or any other support so that it is not necessary to manipulate the clasps I1 or pins I6 during filing of the badges I0. 'I'he badges I0 may be readily removed from the filing drawer I9 by merely picking the badges oi the panel 24.

Also in use the badges I0 may be led according to the number usually appearing on the badges. When this procedure is followed, provision is made on the end Wall 23 for indicia indicating the numbers of the badges in each row, as shown in Figure 7 of the drawings.

In the ordinary course of business of large industrial plants, the badges are changed at intervals. In the event the badges are changed to such an extent that they cannot be accommodated by the panels 24, it is a relatively sim- 4 ple matter to replace the panels 24 with panels having diierently spaced grooves to accommodate the new badges. The overall size of the panels, however, always remains the same, so that the panels will rit the available ling cabinet drawers.

What I claim as my invention is:

The combination with a plurality of badges, each having a pin on the reverse side thereof and having a clasp on said reverse side engageable with the free end of said pin, of means for filing said badges comprising a panel supporting said badges in side by side relationship with the reverse sides thereof resting on the top surface of said panel, means for holding said badges against shifting movement relative to said panel in a direction normal to said pins comprising a rst series of spaced parallel grooves in the top surface of said panel extending parallel to said pins and receiving said pins but being of a width insufficient to receive said clasps, and means for holding said badges against shifting movement relative to said panel in a direction parallel to said pins comprising a second series of spaced parallel grooves extending normal to said pins and receiving said clasps.

HAROLD S. MUES.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

